Knownhost VPS Review: Is It the Best Managed Hosting?
Finding a reliable and high-performing VPS host can feel like navigating a maze. With countless options vying for your attention, making a well-informed decision requires careful consideration.
This KnownHost VPS review aims to provide a clear and comprehensive analysis to help you determine if their services are the right fit for your needs. KnownHost, established in 2005, has carved a niche for itself in the web hosting landscape by focusing primarily on managed VPS and dedicated server solutions.
Contents
KnownHost VPS: Plans & Pricing
KnownHost caters to a variety of user needs by offering a range of VPS plans with different levels of management and resources. You can opt for unmanaged VPS, managed VPS, and even specialized options like WordPress-optimized VPS.
Unmanaged VPS
Unmanaged VPS plans are ideal for tech-savvy users who are comfortable managing their own servers. These plans offer flexibility and control, allowing users to customize their server environment according to their specific requirements. KnownHost’s unmanaged VPS plans start as low as $5 per month for the entry-level tier, which includes 1GB of RAM. For users who need more resources, higher tiers with increased RAM, storage, and bandwidth are available for $20 or more per month.
Managed VPS
For those who prefer a more hands-off approach, KnownHost offers managed VPS hosting. These plans provide the convenience of having KnownHost’s expert team handle server maintenance, updates, and security, allowing users to focus on their website or application. Managed VPS plans generally cost more than unmanaged plans due to the added support and services. Pricing for managed VPS typically starts at $40 per month for the basic tier.
WordPress-Optimized VPS
KnownHost also offers WordPress-optimized VPS hosting, tailored specifically for WordPress websites. These plans come pre-configured with WordPress and optimized for speed and performance. They also include features like one-click staging and backup restores, tailored WordPress servers, and WP-specific client utilities. WordPress hosting plans are available from $5.98 per month.
In addition to these main plan types, KnownHost offers a wide variety of tiers within each category, each with its own set of resources and pricing. To help you compare, a detailed pricing table with up-to-date information is available on their website, knownhost.com.
This KnownHost VPS review has provided an overview of the various VPS plan options offered by KnownHost, highlighting their key features and pricing structures. The next section will dive into the performance and reliability aspects of their VPS hosting.
KnownHost VPS: Performance and Reliability
KnownHost boasts “ultra-high performance” and a guaranteed uptime that’s “leagues above most hosting providers.” But do their claims hold up under scrutiny? This KnownHost VPS review will look at data from tests and user experiences to find out.
Server Speed and Response Times
KnownHost uses LiteSpeed web servers, which are known for their speed and efficiency. Combined with SSD storage, this ensures fast website loading times and a smooth user experience.
A test conducted using GTmetrix and Pingdom revealed impressive website loading speeds on KnownHost servers. Anecdotal evidence from a user with a VPS2 plan also supports the claim of excellent uptime and speed. They were so impressed by KnownHost’s performance that they even considered rewriting their entire app backend to host it with KnownHost.
Uptime Guarantee
KnownHost offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee on their VPS plans, ensuring that your website remains accessible to visitors almost all the time. This commitment to uptime is backed by a service level agreement (SLA), providing users with peace of mind knowing that their website won’t experience frequent downtime.
Network Infrastructure
KnownHost operates data centers in strategic locations, including Texas, California, and New Jersey in the United States, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. This geographical distribution ensures low latency and fast loading times for users in different regions. Their network infrastructure features redundancy and security measures like DDoS protection to further enhance reliability and protect websites from threats.
This part of our KnownHost VPS review has explored the performance and reliability aspects of KnownHost VPS hosting, providing evidence from tests and user experiences to support their claims.
Overall, their use of LiteSpeed servers, SSD storage, strong uptime guarantee, and robust network infrastructure position them as a provider committed to delivering high-performance hosting. The following section of this KnownHost VPS review will look at the features offered with their VPS plans.
KnownHost VPS: Features
KnownHost VPS plans come with a variety of features to empower users and enhance website management. From versatile control panels to robust security measures and convenient backup solutions, this section in our KnownHost VPS review will detail the key features offered with KnownHost VPS.
Control Panel
KnownHost offers a choice of control panels for their VPS plans, including cPanel/WHM and DirectAdmin. cPanel is a widely popular and user-friendly control panel that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing websites, domains, email accounts, databases, and more. DirectAdmin is another popular option known for its simplicity and affordability.
Security Features
KnownHost prioritizes the security of its users’ websites by offering robust security features across its VPS plans. These features include:
- Firewalls: Protect servers from unauthorized access and malicious traffic.
- Malware Scanning: Regularly scans websites for malware and other security threats.
- DDoS Protection: Safeguards websites from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, ensuring continued availability.
- SSL Certificates: Provides free SSL certificates to encrypt website traffic and enhance security.
- Imunify360: KnownHost’s shared hosting plans come with free Imunify360 protection, which includes a constantly updated Web Application Firewall (WAF), real-time malware scanning and automatic removal.
Backups
KnownHost offers a comprehensive backup solution for its VPS plans, ensuring that your website data is protected in case of accidental deletion, data corruption, or other unforeseen events. They take daily backups and store them for two days. In addition, they have weekly backups that you can restore at any time. The JetBackup cPanel plugin lets you restore files and databases immediately without needing to raise a customer support ticket.
Other Notable Features
In addition to the core features mentioned above in this KnownHost VPS review, their plans come with other notable features that enhance the hosting experience, including:
- Free Website Migrations: KnownHost provides free website migrations, making it seamless to transfer your website from another hosting provider to their platform.
- Support for Various Programming Languages: Their servers support a wide range of programming languages, including PHP, Python, Ruby, and Node.js, giving developers flexibility in choosing their preferred language.
- Customizable Server Environments: Users have the option to customize their server environments, allowing them to install specific software or configure settings to optimize their applications.
- Root Access for Advanced Users: KnownHost offers full root access on their VPS plans, giving users complete control over their server environment.
This section of our KnownHost VPS review has explored the diverse range of features offered with KnownHost VPS hosting. Their focus on security, backup solutions, control panel options, and additional features like free website migrations makes them a compelling choice for users seeking a feature-rich hosting experience. The next section will examine KnownHost’s customer support services.
KnownHost VPS: Customer Support
KnownHost is often praised for its exceptional customer support, earning a reputation for being “legendary” in the hosting industry. This section will examine their various support channels, response times, support team quality, and available support resources to evaluate if their support lives up to the hype.
Support Channels
KnownHost offers multiple support channels to cater to users’ preferences and urgency. You can reach their support team through:
- 24/7 Email and Helpdesk Support: For non-urgent issues, you can submit a support ticket through their online helpdesk or send an email to their support team.
- Live Chat for Sales Inquiries: While live chat is not available for technical support, you can use it to get answers to sales-related questions.
Support Team Quality
KnownHost’s support team is entirely in-house, meaning they are not outsourced to a third party. This ensures that support agents are well-versed in KnownHost’s products and services, allowing them to provide more effective and efficient assistance.
This KnownHost VPS review reveals that users have frequently praised the support team for their responsiveness, expertise, and helpfulness. Many reviews mention quick response times, often within minutes, and effective problem resolution. For example, one user mentioned that their support questions were answered in less than 5 minutes.
Additional Support Resources
KnownHost provides additional support resources to help users find solutions to their queries. These resources include:
- Knowledge Base: KnownHost has an extensive knowledge base filled with articles, tutorials, and FAQs covering a wide range of topics related to their services.
- Community Forum: Their community forum provides a platform for users to connect with each other, ask questions, share tips, and get help from experienced users.
While KnownHost’s support options are generally well-regarded, one minor limitation is the lack of 24/7 live chat support for technical issues. However, their prompt response times via email and helpdesk support, combined with their knowledgeable in-house team and helpful resources, make up for this shortcoming.
This segment of our KnownHost VPS review has assessed the quality and effectiveness of KnownHost’s customer support. Their commitment to in-house support, prompt response times, and helpful resources solidify their reputation for excellent customer service.
Next, our KnownHost VPS review will look at user experience.
KnownHost VPS: User Experience
KnownHost’s commitment to managed services, combined with their user-friendly control panel options, makes them a suitable choice for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
Ease of Use
KnownHost’s services are designed with user-friendliness in mind. Their intuitive control panels, like cPanel/WHM, make it easy for users to manage their websites, domains, email accounts, databases, and other hosting features. The onboarding process is straightforward, allowing users to quickly set up their VPS and get started with their website or application. Additionally, the availability of managed services makes KnownHost an excellent choice for those who prefer a hands-off approach to server management.
Scalability
As your website grows and your traffic increases, you can easily upgrade your KnownHost VPS plan to accommodate your changing needs. The findings in this KnownHost VPS review indicate that their scalability ensures your website’s performance stays optimal as your requirements grow.
Target Audience
KnownHost VPS hosting is suitable for a diverse range of users, including:
- Small Businesses: Their VPS plans offer the resources and reliability required for small businesses to establish a strong online presence.
- Web Developers: Developers appreciate the flexibility, control, and features offered by KnownHost VPS, including support for various programming languages and root access.
- E-commerce Sites: KnownHost’s focus on performance, security, and uptime makes their VPS plans a suitable choice for e-commerce businesses that require a reliable and secure hosting environment.
- Users Seeking Managed Hosting: KnownHost’s managed VPS plans are ideal for users who lack the technical expertise or time to manage their server, providing a hassle-free hosting experience.
This part of our KnownHost VPS review has explored the user experience aspects of KnownHost VPS hosting, highlighting their ease of use, scalability, and target audience. Their commitment to making their services accessible and manageable for users of all technical backgrounds is a notable strength. The following section will provide a concise overview of the pros and cons of KnownHost VPS hosting.
Pros and Cons of KnownHost VPS
Based on the information presented in this KnownHost VPS review, here’s a summary of the pros and cons of KnownHost VPS hosting:
Pros
- High Performance and Reliability: KnownHost’s use of LiteSpeed web servers, SSD storage, strong uptime guarantee, and robust network infrastructure ensure fast loading times and minimal downtime.
- Excellent Customer Support: Their “legendary” customer support, with a knowledgeable in-house team, prompt response times, and helpful resources like a comprehensive knowledge base, makes them stand out in the hosting industry.
- Managed Services for Ease of Use: Managed VPS plans are ideal for users who prefer a hands-off approach, letting KnownHost take care of server management, updates, and security.
- Robust Security Features: KnownHost prioritizes website security, offering features like firewalls, malware scanning, DDoS protection, and free SSL certificates.
- Competitive Pricing: KnownHost offers competitive pricing across their VPS plans, with various tiers to suit different budgets and needs.
Cons
- Limited Data Center Locations: While KnownHost operates data centers in strategic locations, they may not have a presence in all regions, potentially affecting loading times for users far from their servers.
- Resource Limitations on Lower-Tier Plans: Lower-tier VPS plans may have limited resources compared to higher-tier plans, which could be a constraint for websites with high traffic or demanding applications.
- Lack of a Website Builder: KnownHost does not offer a website builder, which could be a drawback for beginners who need an easy way to create their website.
Knownhost VPS Review: Conclusion
As discussed in this KnownHost VPS review, the company provides a reliable, high-performing, and secure environment, making it an attractive option for users. Their emphasis on managed services, combined with their “legendary” customer support, caters to a wide range of users, from small businesses and web developers to e-commerce sites and those who simply want a hassle-free hosting experience.
While their limited data center locations and resource limitations on lower-tier plans are worth considering, their overall strengths in performance, features, support, and ease of use make KnownHost VPS a solid contender in the VPS hosting market.
To learn more about KnownHost VPS, compare their plans in detail, and potentially take advantage of these best KnownHost coupon codes for cost savings, visit their website: knownhost.com.
This KnownHost VPS review has provided an in-depth analysis of KnownHost’s VPS hosting services, based on information from multiple sources. The aim was to offer a comprehensive and balanced perspective to help you make an informed decision. Keep in mind that hosting needs can vary widely, so it’s essential to carefully consider your specific requirements before choosing a provider.
